From grief to healing: How one Anishinaabe Niniwag turned loss into a journey of wellness and balance

By Jesse Johnson

SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO – When Dr. Chett Monague stood before a room of health professionals at this year’s Anishinabek Nation Health Conference, his message was both personal and healing. Through some tears, laughter, and reflection, he shared how the loss of his brother to diabetes set him on a life-changing path toward self-discovery and balance rooted in both Indigenous and Western teachings.

“I wanted to change. I couldn’t keep living the same way,” he said. “I needed to be healthy for my family, for my community, and for myself.”

Growing up in an island community, Dr. Monague recalled struggling with his weight from an early age. Access to fresh and nutritious food was often limited and made families reliant on foods that could last, but not necessarily nourish.

When he lost his brother in October 2020 to complications from diabetes, everything changed.

“I did CPR for 45 minutes before anyone could get there,” he said quietly. “We lost him that morning. It was a wake-up call. Diabetes is something we can prevent, but we need education and access.”

The tragedy pushed him to re-evaluate his own health and purpose.

“My brother and looked a lot alike. I realized I was on the same path. That’s when I decided that I needed to change,” he said.

Dr. Monague’s transformation began with running, fasting, and eventually swimming, but it wasn’t a straight path. Early attempts at weight loss, driven by calorie restriction and self-discipline, left him weak, exhausted, and unbalanced.

“I was eating less than 1,200 calories a day,” he recalled. “I didn’t realize I was hurting myself.”

What brought him back into balance was reconnecting with his Anishinaabe teachings and learning to combine them with modern health science.

Using the Medicine Wheel alongside the Western SMART goal framework, he developed a holistic method for wellness, one that integrates emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health.

“Our culture teaches that when one part of us is out of balance, we can rely on the others to bring us back to centre,” he explained. “That teaching saved my life.”

In 2022, he set an ambitious goal to swim across the channel separating his island community from the mainland, a five-kilometre open-water swim. It would symbolize reclaiming his relationship with the water, his spirit name, and his identity.

Supported by family, friends, and community safety crews, he trained for months, living by the beach and immersing himself in ceremony.

“Every time I went into the water, I prayed, I smudged, and I made sure someone knew I was there,” he said.

When the day finally came, he completed the swim in one hour and 40 minutes. He was surrounded by family in kayaks and on boats, cheering him home.

“It was one of the best days of my life,” he said with a smile. “Being surrounded by love, by youth, by community, reminded me that healing isn’t something you do alone.”

Today, Dr. Monague is the first chiropractor born and raised in his community of Beausoleil First Nation to graduate in the summer of 2025. He recently launched Full Circle Chiropractic and Wellness, a mobile clinic that travels to Indigenous communities to provide accessible, culturally aware care.

His mission is to bring proactive, preventive health services to First Nations while blending Western medical expertise with Indigenous approaches to healing.

“Healing is a full circle,” he said. “We can use all the tools available to us, like our science and our spirit, to find balance.”

During his workshop, he invited participants to create their own 21-day goals consisting of small, attainable changes to form healthy habits. Whether learning a language, reducing screen time, or building fitness, he urged everyone to align their goals with the four aspects of self: emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual.

“Write it down. Identify your barriers, your gifts, and how you’ll overcome them,” he said. “Our gifts are closest to who we are, and that’s what we rely on to reach our goals.”

Now, Dr. Monague continues to model wellness and leadership for his community and beyond. Whether through his chiropractic work, modelling Indigenous designs, or public speaking, he uses his platform to inspire others to reclaim their balance.

“We make mistakes, that’s part of being human,” he said in closing. “What matters is learning from them, and using every tool in our bundle to keep moving forward.”

For those who wish to connect, Dr. Monague can be found on Instagram at @cherhymeswithjet and through Full Circle Chiropractic and Wellness, where his work continues full circle.